Osteospermum plant named ‘KLEOE05119’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘KLEOE05119’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; and large daisy-type inflorescences with yellow-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEOE05119’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEOE05119’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Osteospermum cultivars with freely branching and uniformly mounded plant habit, early and freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Osteospermum originated from an open-pollination by the Inventor in 2002 of the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Seikimora, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,409, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Osteospermum ecklonis as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany in April, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since May, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar KLEOE05119 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEOE05119’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEOE05119’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large daisy-type inflorescences with yellow-colored ray         florets.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Seikimora, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum are larger than plants of the         cultivar Seikimora.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum have broader leaves than         plants of the cultivar Seikimora.     -   3. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Seikimora         differ in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Seikimora         have orange-colored florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum cultivar KLEOE05118, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/583,663, filed concurrently. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Osteospermum differed primarily from plants of the cultivar KLEOE05118 in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar KLEOE05118 had light orange-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Osteospermum had longer peduncles and were more freely flowering as plants of the cultivar KLEOE05118.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum. The photograph comprises a close-up view of typical flowering plants of ‘KLEOE05119’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 20° C. and night ranged from 10° C. to 15° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about three months old when the photograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar KLEOE05119. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar             Seikimora, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,409.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Osteospermum             ecklonis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at 18° C. to             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About three to             four weeks at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About four to five             weeks at 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and compact plant habit.             Inflorescences positioned well above the foliar plane.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14 cm to 16 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 24 cm to 28 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching,             about three to five lateral branches per plant. Length:             About 13 cm to 14 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Internode             length: About 0.5 cm to 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 143B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 2 cm. Width: About 1.3 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Sparsely pubescent; leathery. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower             surfaces: 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A;             venation, 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B;             venation, 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences positioned above             the foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright. Freely flowering habit; about 50             inflorescences develop over time per plant. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—In Germany, plants of the new             Osteospermum flower continuously from spring to autumn.             Early flowering habit, plants begin flowering about eight to             twelve weeks after planting. Inflorescences last about five             to ten days on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Ovate. Color: 147B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm to 11 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle height: About 7 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongate oblong. Length: About 3 cm.             Width: About 6 mm. Apex: Acute to emarginate. Base: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; velvety.             Orientation: Upright to outwardly. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 14 to 17 in a single whorl. Color: When             opening, upper surface: 13A; towards the base, 93B. When             opening, lower surface: 13A. Fully opened, upper surface:             13B; towards the base, 93B; color becoming closer to 13C             with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 13A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 8 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2 mm. Diameter,             base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 20 to 30. Color: Immature: 93A. Mature: Apex: 93A.             Mid-section and base: 1C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 14. Length:             About 1.3 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 147B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 11 cm to 13 cm. Diameter: About 2             mm to 4 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Texture: Pubescent; rough. Color: 146C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: 79B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:             23A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil             length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color:             Close to 143D. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close             to 83A.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm to             6 mm. Color: 200A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about     35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘KLEOE05119’ as illustrated and described. 